Even in today’s digital world, good old-fashioned word of mouth remains an extremely efficient tool to get your business growing. And yes, we do mean an actual conversation – apparently only about 7% of word of mouth happens on social media* and even then, different platforms come and go (does anyone still have a MySpace account?). In fact, a recent McKinsey report showed that word of mouth is the main decider behind 20 to 50 percent of all purchasing decisions, and it is most powerful when someone is buying a product for the first time.
It’s a matter of trust.
One of the main reasons that word of mouth is so effective is simply because we believe people we know. It’s not just because we know them, but also because they have no incentive to sell us anything or profit from our decision – the recommendation is often made with our own best interests at heart and from their direct experience.
In contrast, we know that traditional advertising and brand communication is trying to sell us something or influence our behavior. While social media was once thought to be a more credible source of referral, recent news points to how it can be used to influence opinion. This has led consumers to view anything they read online with a critical eye.
The word of mouth bulls-eye.
Another factor behind the success of word of mouth is its targeting effect. People tend to hang out with people similar to them, that share their interests and goals and have the same needs. This often means that they will be in the market for the same products and services, making word of mouth far more focused and relevant when compared to larger-scale media and traditional marketing.
Your members are your best channel.
The truth is, the efficacy of word of mouth makes your members one of your most powerful marketing tools. So, how do you get them talking? The good news is that the F45 Training model means that people often want to talk about their training – the high-energy team environment and constant challenge encourages members to look forward to each session and talk about their progress. Sometimes, they might even be asked about how they’ve managed to get in shape or achieve a fitness goal.
There are things you can do as a franchisee to make the most of this opportunity and encourage people to recommend your studio and share their great experiences, and they go beyond two-for-one specials and “bring a friend for free.”
Understanding why members are training and how they see progress is vital, and means instructors can help them to keep improving and loving their training.
“Safety first” is an old saying for a good reason – as always, members who stay healthy will keep getting fitter and telling their friends, while an injury will stall progress and could even create bad press.
Training in a team environment really does create a sense of community, and it’s important to encourage this in order to keep your members motivated and seeing results. Something as small as starting a WhatsApp group to share news and members’ achievements can make a big difference and actively get people talking.
New news is good news – keeping up to date with the latest F45 Training news, tech, and franchise developments and sharing this with your members will not only keep them interested and motivated, but give them content to share as well.
When all is said and done, F45 Training delivers on our promise of changing lives, and we have thousands of people willing to listen to how we did it – and that speaks more than words.
*Contagious – Prof. Johan Berger.
This could be a life changing opportunity.
